Norv Turner is among the ex-coaches looking for work after the Chargers fired him Monday. / Lenny Ignelzi, AP

by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

Norv Turner received a note last week from Josh Whitman, a former player for the San Diego Chargers and now the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.

Whitman played only one season under Turner, in 2001, when Turner was the offensive coordinator, but Whitman wanted to thank him for everything he'd done for him.

"On the bottom of it he said, 'you changed my life,'" Turner told reporters Monday during his final press conference after being fired by the Chargers. "And that's what you're trying to do as a coach."

They call it "Black Monday" in the NFL. There's breathless speculation and posturing leading up to it, and a race to report the news. There are fans hoping for the news their coach gets fired, with the Chargers' faithful using the hashtag #FireNorv on Twitter for a long time now. But behind all of the names scrolling across the bottom of the screen or popping up on Twitter feeds are human beings who just lost their dream jobs.

Well-paid human beings who just lost dream jobs many would love to hold for just one day? Absolutely. But men who now face uncertain futures and must think about uprooting their families to follow them elsewhere.

There were seven coaches and five general managers who lost their jobs in the most active Black Monday ever, with more to come for sure.

"Today is, every year, my least favorite day in the National Football League," said Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, who fired Andy Reid. "For 14 years, I (have been) at home watching teams have to make changes with their head coaches. They work so hard at it, and every year for 14 years I sit there and I feel for many of them who I know quite well. Several of them have worked in this building and you just feel for them.

"Today we're in that position, and this is the first time in 14 years that (it's been) the case."

Reid was the second coach to be fired Monday morning, shortly after the Cleveland Browns let go of Pat Shurmur. Then, word broke the Kansas City Chiefs had parted with Romeo Crennel, the Buffalo Bills fired Chan Gailey, the Chicago Bears fired Lovie Smith, Turner was let go, and finally the Arizona Cardinals fired Ken Whisenhunt.

Even though it had been rumored for weeks new Bears general manager Phil Emery might fire Smith, it was a shock to many, including some angry Bears players.

"I'm going to go home and get away from football right now," Devin Hester said while also criticizing the fans and media for calling for Smith's firing. "I don't even know if I want to play again, man."

The day began with the first general manager being fired when the Jacksonville Jaguars let go of Gene Smith. After that, the Browns announced Tom Heckert would not be retained, Mike Tannenbaum paid for his mistakes with Mark Sanchez, Santonio Holmes and Tim Tebow when he was fired by the New York Jets, and a pair of GMs were let go along with their coaches ‚?? A.J. Smith (Chargers) and Rod Graves (Cardinals).

Tannenbaum spoke to the players and cried while doing so.

"I appreciate that it is rare for someone to stay with one organization with such a wide range of responsibilities for so many years," said Tannenbaum, a former cap guy who joined the organization in 1997. "My time with the Jets will always be special to me and my family, and it has prepared me well for whatever comes next."

In words he also told the players, Tannenbaum added, "There are champions on this team that haven't been crowned yet."

While it was a sad day for those who lost their jobs, the flip side is there are now more openings after one day than ever before. And already the scrambling has begun:

-- The Cardinals said they will interview Reid, as well as Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. Look for current Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton to get an interview as well, and not just as a Rooney Rule requirement.

-- Rumblings are the Buffalo Bills could be interested in bringing in Whisenhunt. And it could make financial sense for the small-market Bills because Whisenhunt is owed $5.5 million from Arizona in 2013 with no offset language in the contract. That means the Cardinals owe Whisenhunt the difference between what he makes and that $5.5 million marker. The Bills could come in with a low offer for Whisenhunt, who won't like the quarterback situation in Buffalo but could overlook that hurdle.

-- The New York Jets will interview San Francisco 49ers director of player personnel Tom Gamble, as first reported by ESPN. Gamble is also drawing interest from the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers. Meanwhile, another hot name is Marc Ross. The Giants' director of college scouting has been a candidate for the Panthers for a while. Now, the Jets are also looking to talk to him, as are the Chargers.

-- And the hot name continues to be Oregon's Chip Kelly. Lurie's saying he's looking for an innovative coach who's ahead of the game and knows where the league is trending. If that's not a public plea for Kelly, we don't know what it is. Lurie can expect a fight on that one from the Cleveland Browns and CEO Joe Banner, the Eagles' former president. Dirk Koetter, the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator, is one of the Eagles' other targets. FoxSports.com reported Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan also will meet with the Eagles.

-- The one name that's yet to be tied to a specific job is perhaps the biggest of all: Jon Gruden. There was a report early in the day the former Raiders and Bucs coach would accept invites to interview. But a person informed of Gruden's thinking, speaking to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because Gruden hasn't commented on his interest in returning to the NFL, said the ESPN commentator is currently planning to remain in that role. It's unclear if that will change at some point in the near future.

As always, there's a lot of change and movement, as there was on this Black Monday.